Surgery on Monday

[sarah105]

My surgery is finally coming up on monday:eek: I'm starting to get nervous but I'm also just excited to be done waiting! I found out at my pre-op that I will be fused t2 to l2 and that I will probably be in the pediatric part of the hospital after my surgery even though I am 20. I guess this is because the nurses and staff there deal with this surgery more often. I think it is probably better because I know my parents can stay if I'm there but has anyone else had this happen?
I don't post too much on here but I read it all the time and it has been so helpful for me the past few months!

[Pooka1]

Sarah,

Good luck on Monday.

I'll look forward to hearing how it went.

Can I ask how large your curves were when you were skeletally mature and came out of the brace?

That is, how much did your curves move, if any, after your were skeletally mature?

Again, good luck.

sharon

[debbei]

My surgery is finally coming up on monday:eek: I'm starting to get nervous but I'm also just excited to be done waiting! I found out at my pre-op that I will be fused t2 to l2 and that I will probably be in the pediatric part of the hospital after my surgery even though I am 20. I guess this is because the nurses and staff there deal with this surgery more often. I think it is probably better because I know my parents can stay if I'm there but has anyone else had this happen?
I don't post too much on here but I read it all the time and it has been so helpful for me the past few months!

Good luck Sarah. I bet you'll get more attention in the pediatric area, so good for you. You will be in my thoughts. Let us know how you are when you have a chance!

[Susie*Bee]

Sarah-- that's exciting that it's almost your big day. It'll be tough at first, but you will bounce back quickly. Yes, I'm sure they'll watch over you diligently in the pediatric section. Best wishes for a great outcome and a relatively quick recovery. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers. Hugs, Susie

[sarah105]

Thanks so much! I will try and let you know how it went as soon as I can.

When I stopped wearing my brace my curves were both around 35*. About 2 years later they were both around 42* and now after about 7 years out of the brace they are about 48* thorasic and 54* thoracolumbar. Surgery was offered to me as an option when the curves were around 42* but they said I didn't have to and we could always wait and see if it was going to get worse. I had no pain at the time but it has started to bother me over the past few years.

[scurve4947]

Hey Sara,

Good luck on Monday! I'll keep you in my thoughts. I am two weeks post op so I can tell you from recent experience that the first night is kind of rough but it gets better everyday. The pediatric wing of the hospital is probably best. I was in the adult ICU and Intermediate care units after my surgery and the nurses there had only seen scoli patients a few times. I had a lot of issues come up during my 8 day stay but I managed to get home in one piece. Beware, you will get absolutely no sleep while you are in the hospital. Those dang nurses won't let you get any shut eye. They are always poking you with needles and taking vitals and what not! Oh well, guess they are just doing their jobs. :) Anywho, good luck and let us know how everything turns out.

Best,
Allison

[Pooka1]

Thanks so much! I will try and let you know how it went as soon as I can.

When I stopped wearing my brace my curves were both around 35*. About 2 years later they were both around 42* and now after about 7 years out of the brace they are about 48* thorasic and 54* thoracolumbar. Surgery was offered to me as an option when the curves were around 42* but they said I didn't have to and we could always wait and see if it was going to get worse. I had no pain at the time but it has started to bother me over the past few years.

Did you stop wearing the brace because you were told you were skeletally mature?

The claim out there is that if you are less than 50* at that point, you will not progress to surgery territory in your lifetime.

But yours is not the first testimonial I've read where folks were clearly sub-surgical presumably at maturity but still needed surgery by their 30's or 40's.

My daughter is 36*-40* and will soon be skeletally mature. Ask me if I believe she isn't looking at surgery in her lifetime.

I think there are some cases where brace wear can be shown to only delay surgery rather than avoid it. If that comes out, you heard it here first.

I don't think my formerly braced daughter is in that category because I don't think the brace was holding her curve. But I think there might be other kids in that category like maybe yourself. What do you think? Do you think bracing only delayed your surgery?

[Qikdraw]

Good luck on monday Sarah! :D

If you can have your mother take a 'before' picture of your back, and then later on take an 'after' picture. It'll just be a neat historical moment for you in the future. :)

Brad

[LynnMarie74]

Good luck to you! Im with Debbe...you will be treated better in that area. Take advantage! Take care...stay strong & share any info you can when you are up to it.


Best of luck...

Lynn

[txmarinemom]

The claim out there is that if you are less than 50* at that point, you will not progress to surgery territory in your lifetime.

But yours is not the first testimonial I've read where folks were clearly sub-surgical presumably at maturity but still needed surgery by their 30's or 40's.

One thing I'd like to point out is the difference in what I've always heard about the magical 50° point:

Instead of "curves < 50° won't progress to surgery", what I've always been told is "it's likely that curves ±50° will progress at ±1-2° per year", with the inference they will continue to progress until surgery is required.

I would think that both slants on progression would go low enough to include 45° curves due to the margin of error.

We've both seen where neither statement is always, or maybe even *often*, valid. I don't know how much of an anomaly my curve was to remain stable at ±53° since late adolescence/early adulthood (those are the only x-rays I have for comparison). Everything I've read and been told says it was a HUGE oddity, but then again, how many people came out of braces right on the line, and just never had their curve measured again because it didn't hurt?

Perhaps they remained stable?

So many of us were told when we stopped growing, we'd stop curving - so I have to wonder, how many of us DID remain stable minus the pain issues I had? I'll probably never have an answer to that.

And, yes ... this forum is full of 30-40° at end of bracing adults with curves that started moving in adulthood for one reason or another. For quite a few, the progesterone/pregnancy seems quite probable. Obviously, as in my case, my curve did NOT move during 2 pregnancies. I haven't really looked, but I'd be interested to see if anyone has done an "age at pregnancy" study on scoliotic women and what happened to their curves (although the problem will be finding a solid group of JIS/AIS patients who watched theirs in adulthood). Also I'd like to see how curve movement in adulthood compares between women who have given birth, and those who haven't.


I think there are some cases where brace wear can be shown to only delay surgery rather than avoid it ...

I don't doubt that, but how can it really be determined?

There's definitely a case to be made for brace wear in younger kids/young adolescents, if it's holding or even slowing progression, to allow for as much growth as possible. I'm absolutely certain that was one of the reasons I was braced at 10, although even when I was compliant (maybe the first year ... tops), my out of brace Cobb kept creeping up. There's no way to get my orthopedic x-rays, but I may be able to secure the A/P x-rays after my VP shunt placement at age 11: I'd love to see if Hanson could determine my Cobb during that timeframe.

Sarah, I think being on the pedi ward sounds like an excellent idea ;-). I bet the nurses are more friendly, anyway - LOL!

Good luck tomorrow ... I'm sure everything will be fine. Looking forward to hearing a good report!

Regards,
Pam

[Pooka1]

One thing I'd like to point out is the difference in what I've always heard about the magical 50° point:

Instead of "curves < 50° won't progress to surgery", what I've always been told is "it's likely that curves ±50° will progress at ±1-2° per year", with the inference they will continue to progress until surgery is required.

That statement concerned curves >50*.

The context of my question to the surgeon was in re curves <50* and my concern that she might be sub-surgical at maturity but still need surgery as an adult. So his answer was that curves below 50* are not likely to progress to surgery in one's lifetime. We didn't discuss what curves >50* do because we weren't dealing with that.


We've both seen where neither statement is always, or maybe even *often*, valid. I don't know how much of an anomaly my curve was to remain stable at ±53° since late adolescence/early adulthood (those are the only x-rays I have for comparison). Everything I've read and been told says it was a HUGE oddity, but then again, how many people came out of braces right on the line, and just never had their curve measured again because it didn't hurt?

Well I think there might be enough data in hand to suggest it is very unusual but I don't know that.


Perhaps they remained stable?

I wish I knew how they know what they know. That would clear these things up perhaps.


So many of us were told when we stopped growing, we'd stop curving - so I have to wonder, how many of us DID remain stable minus the pain issues I had? I'll probably never have an answer to that.

As I read the testimonials, I think most are due to progression and pain, no?


And, yes ... this forum is full of 30-40° at end of bracing adults with curves that started moving in adulthood for one reason or another. For quite a few, the progesterone/pregnancy seems quite probable. Obviously, as in my case, my curve did NOT move during 2 pregnancies. I haven't really looked, but I'd be interested to see if anyone has done an "age at pregnancy" study on scoliotic women and what happened to their curves (although the problem will be finding a solid group of JIS/AIS patients who watched theirs in adulthood). Also I'd like to see how curve movement in adulthood compares between women who have given birth, and those who haven't.

I specifically mentioned the pregnancy issue and I believe he dismissed that but I'm not 100% sure. I'll ask again. I came away with the clear impression that he feels most folks who are less than 50* at skeletal maturity are out of the woods on progression requiring surgery. We did not discuss pain and the likelihood of having surgery due to subsequent damage and pain. I will have to ask that question specifically as my original question concerned progression only. But if many people with a <50* curve at maturity end up with surgery due to pain or to correct ancillary conditions absent progression then it is practically irrelevant to ask how many have surgery due to progression.

[sarah105]

I was told that I was done growing when I started weaning off of the brace. I was almost 14 at the time. I have no idea how helpful the brace was for me. My curves progressed while I was in the brace but maybe it would have been worse if I wasn't wearing it. We were told all along that the brace wasn't holding my upper curve because it was too high in my back but they hoped that by holding the lower curve straighter, the upper curve might not progress either. My pediatric surgeons had told me that once my curve reached 45* it was statistically likely to progress 1-2* a year while my newer doctor uses 50* instead. Now that I have passed both those numbers and have started having back pain I decided that now was the right time for me to have surgery. It is also the last time that I will have a summer break and I am still under my parents insurance so it is easiest to get it out of the way now.

I will definitely take a photo of my back tonight. I think it will be really interesting to compare later. Thanks!

[S4Sarah]

Sarah good luck with your surgery i hope all goes wella dn you have a safe and healthy recovery!
Yeah usually people stay in the pediatrics until they are 21.
20 is just 1 year out of your teens so your closer to the pediatric side than the adult side.
Having your parents there or even really close friends and extended family will probably make it a lot nicer and more comfortable. If you are allowed like a warm comfortable blanket would probably be nice too. Everytime I got to the hospital it is freezing! The nurses are like "I'll get you another blanket" and they come out with like a thin falling apart thing that is so scratchy. Basically any comfort things or anything that will make your stay nicer will probably be nice.
Good Luck
- Another Sarah

[swilson]

Hello all,
I was wondering has anyone been experiencing shortness
of breath and chest tightening. Is this somewhat normal for 3
weeks post op? Also I have been having difficulty sleeping can anyone
recommend any sleeping positions pre op I was a stomach sleeper.
Thanks so much!
Simone

[Pooka1]

Hello all,
I was wondering has anyone been experiencing shortness
of breath and chest tightening. Is this somewhat normal for 3
weeks post op? Also I have been having difficulty sleeping can anyone
recommend any sleeping positions pre op I was a stomach sleeper.
Thanks so much!
Simone

Yes! Someone here recently wrote about symptoms like that. I'll find the thread but it had the words, "unusual symptoms" or something like that. You should consider getting checked out very soon.

Good luck.

[Pooka1]

http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8835

[swilson]

Sorry I posted in the wrong area! Good luck tommorw Sarah!!! I know everything will go well with your surgery. The real work begins when you get home. Wishing you a great surgery and speedy recovery.

Best,
Simone

[sarah105]

Hi everyone. I made it through and I'm in icu right now. Everything is going well for now except that my pain button was not hooked up yet when I woke up but that's taken care of. I will post again later but typing on my iPhone is really hard when I'm this out of it. Hopefully everything will continue to go well

[Pooka1]

Hi everyone. I made it through and I'm in icu right now. Everything is going well for now except that my pain button was not hooked up yet when I woke up but that's taken care of. I will post again later but typing on my iPhone is really hard when I'm this out of it. Hopefully everything will continue to go well

That's great that you are though, Sarah! Glad they fixed the pain med device. :eek:

Cool that you checked in with the group from the ICU! :eek::)

Onward and upward!

[LynnMarie74]

Good God you are a vivatious woman...posting from the hospital the same day!!??!?! Thats got to be a record!! That can only mean you are doing wonderfully and highly medicated! l:D I hope you continue to recover at a speedy pace! Take it easy....post when you get home....trust me! lol



Lynn

[Qikdraw]

Wow! I'm impressed! Posting from ICU! Thats gotta be a record or something. :D

I'm glad you made it through fine and are feeling great, but relax a little and take Lynn's advice. :)

[JenniferG]

Your post brought back something I'd forgotten. The "sheets" and "blankets", (terms describing hospital linen, I use loosely), were hard, rough cotton, which actually wore the skin off my elbows. I'd forgotten that. My partner brought in a quilt and a foam topper, both made my life easier in hospital. I was also directly under the a/c vent. All my visitors complained of the cold. I've always said, hospitals aren't good places for sick people.:rolleyes:

[titaniumed]

Yes, same here.

In China, they have performed open heart surgery with acupuncture and no anesthesia. I guess they do that just in case the patient wants a cigarette.

Thats a joke.

Slow and easy now.
Ed

[sarah105]

Don't worry, I've been relaxing. I have just been playing games on my iPhone every once in a while so I figured I would check in on my phone since I was on it anyway. Otherwise I've just been sleeping and watching animal planet!

[Scrapnladybug]

So glad that your surgery went well, and impressed that you are not totally out of it :) I told my daughter that she won't need her laptop and itouch for the first few days after her surgery, I may have to rethink that. ;)

Glad they got your meds fixed, that is one thing I am worried about - pain control.

I hope you continue to do well.

[txmarinemom]

Wow! I'm impressed! Posting from ICU! Thats gotta be a record or something. :D

I'm glad you made it through fine and are feeling great, but relax a little and take Lynn's advice. :)


LMAO, Brad ... I was never in ICU after surgery - just PACU for maybe 30minutes. I didn't have an iPhone or my laptop (that came on Day 2), but I was calling people here to update them, and most were screaming at me, "WHAT are you doing on the phone??? You just had SURRRRRGERY!" ... and they'd say "REST!", and hang up. I was REALLY irritated no one would talk to me; I was SO bored.

Keep up the good work, Sarah!

[Qikdraw]

LMAO, Brad ... I was never in ICU after surgery - just PACU for maybe 30minutes. I didn't have an iPhone or my laptop (that came on Day 2), but I was calling people here to update them, and most were screaming at me, "WHAT are you doing on the phone??? You just had SURRRRRGERY!" ... and they'd say "REST!", and hang up. I was REALLY irritated no one would talk to me; I was SO bored.

LOL

I had my mother to keep me company and I had people dropping in from time to time. But my surgery was before computers really hit the home, so no emails or texting to anyone. I think we were still using a rotory phone at home too. :D

I really don't remember much of ICU other than I know I was in there for a total of 5 days (combining both surgeries) I was on a respirator and doped up pretty high. I remember being fed chopped ice and writing on a clipboard for things I needed. (the respirator made it so I could not talk) Overall though I think I slept for the vast majority of the time in ICU.


Keep up the good work, Sarah!

I'll add this too! Again. (You can never had too many good wishes flowing your way) :D

[sarah105]

Hi everyone, I just thought I would check in again. I was in icu until yesterday around noon. There wasn't a problem but my doctor just always starts his patients there so they get watched a little more. Pt came while I was in icu and I was able to sit upon the edge of my bed for about 20 minutes. I did not get moved to pediatrics as expected because they were over full. Fortunately my nurses have been great and I was given a single room to make sure my family could stay. I have been having some pain control problems since leaving icu. I am still only on the morphine button but I am having muscle spasms. I was told that Valium could be used to help this but the doctors were concerned about using it because I have been very drowwsy and they are worried about my lung funtion. I think things are improving because the residents who stopped by this morning said they hoped to get me on the Valium soon. I really hope so because I'm still in quite a bit of pain!

[sarah105]

Hi again. I had my surgery on Monday and I feel like things are going pretty well. I was on iv morphine with valium as needed until this morning. Today I got off the clear liquids diet and have been allowed to eat whatever I want (which hasn't been much). For meds I got switched to oral Tylenol 3 and can have morphine injections in between if I need it. I had some issues with nausea when I switched to oral meds because I wasn't really eating. It started to get better when I was able to eat some crackers. PT came today and I started walking. I got up and walked a lap around the unit 4 times today. I like the walking but getting up and down is pretty annoying. Overall I would say I'm doing pretty well although I defineitly have my ups and downs because the pain still gets bad every once in a while and I have the occasional problem with nausea. I'm kind of nervous to go home (although it probably won't be tip Sunday) because I have a pretty nice routine here and I am finally figuring out how to get comfy in this hospital bed! Anyway, I hope everyone else is doing well and I'll get on again as soon as I can.

[Scrapnladybug]

Thanks for the update. I hope your transition to home will be a smooth one. :)

[asccbodypro]

Sarah,

Sounds like you are doing really well which is great to hear. Four laps around the unti you in is great! You should be proud of yourself, that's certainly more than I was able to do trust me. Good luck when you head home. It can be a little very overwhelming. I know I was scared about not having the nurses at my beck and call. I am very blessed with an awesome husband and my mother-in-law/nurse was at home with me and she is still here helping out. My parents were also here for a week. I couldn't imagine going through this with no help. You will be just fine, remember to take it slow!!!!